WHAT WE DO
At the Indianapolis Convocation in July, 2005, leaders of each
of the working groups were invited to give a short presentation
of the genesis of their goals. In the following speech, Svea Fraser
provides a succinct overview of the origin, vision, development,
successes and challenges of building collaborative relationships
between priests and laity. Click
here to read Svea's presentation. (PDF format)
GOAL 2: TO SUPPORT PRIESTS OF INTEGRITY
ANNUAL REPORT to the
NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL of VOICE OF THE FAITHFUL
June 2006
Introduction
Charter
Genesis Summary of the past year
Future
Plans Challenges and Rewards
Budget Possibilities
Website Information
Introduction
We never speak of Goal 2 without first acknowledging
its connection to Goals 1 and 3, for without the revelations of
abuse and cover up and the courage of the victim/survivors who
shared their stories, we would never have been catapulted from
our pews, and moved to action. To help prevent future abuse, and
to promote healing and renewal in our church, collaboration between
and among laity and the ordained is imperative. In seeking justice
for victims we must also insist on due process and justice for
those accused. And ultimately, the structural changes necessary
for transparency and accountability include a cultural change in
the way laity and clergy relate to one another.
Charter In promoting Goal 2, we are committed to breaking down
the barriers that prevent collaboration and healing. We believe
that the crisis that gave birth to the VOTF movement is in part
due to a pervasive culture that prevents speaking the truth to
power. Collaborative relationships between priests and laity are
essential to healing and to rebuilding trust. Ultimately, change
in the structure of the church is inseparable from change in the
culture. To enhance the possibility of change, we are charged with
the following tasks:
- To promote opportunities for priests, survivors and laity to
speak the truth;
- To encourage collaboration and mutual support between priests
and laity;
- To affirm the universal priesthood of all the faithful by virtue
of our baptism;
- To model the Church as defined by the documents of Vatican
II;
- To insist on due process and justice for all;
- To coordinate, communicate and encourage efforts by individual
parishes and affiliates on behalf of Goal 2;
- To honor those priests who, in word and action, exhibit courage
and compassion along with principled leadership.
Genesis
See Presentation made at Indianapolis Convocation for the history
of this goal (go to the VOTF homepage at www.votf.org, click
on Convocation Notes in the right column, then Speeches and Talks;
scroll down to Working Group Presentations, Svea Fraser). Goal
2 has been supported by a number of different people over the
past four years. Most recently, Pat McNulty and Jim Morrissey
have co-chaired the “National Priest Support Working Group”,
with technical support from Clare Keane. Various efforts--including
prayers and prayer opportunities, surveys, “sounding boards”,
panels (including several which were enriched by the presence
of survivors--see the homepage at www.votf.net and click on Clergy
Support, Summary Notes in the left column), educational opportunities,
social functions, and the selection of the Priest of Integrity
award--have been facilitated and the results have been posted
on the website. Over the past year, the work of the National
working group has been increasingly one of communication, responding
to specific questions and directing people to resources and “best
practice” initiatives. We hope that disseminating this information
becomes more effective in the coming year through an updated
website and more efficient communication.
Future Plans
In past years efforts on behalf of priests have
been predominately local, but with the election of a new slate
of officers, and a National Representative Council, the time is
ripe for shifting the national leadership of this goal to someone/s
outside the Boston geographical area. A description of the role
and possible directions for the next leader has been circulated.
New leadership will be responsible for insuring that all information
pertinent to Goal 2 is updated and accessible. In addition to website
material and news for In the Vineyard, the leader/s will be in
contact with the officers and NRC when appropriate, and will contribute
to the strategic planning of VOTF through representation on the
Working Group Advisory Board. It is hoped that in the future, anyone
seeking information will have contact information readily available,
and that no one will need to “reinvent the wheel” when new events
are proposed. There are a lot of successful initiatives summarized
on the website, and useful material already available.
In addition to numerous ongoing programs, there are some of projects
which have not yet seen the light of day: Research on existent
Pension Plans for priests (Dan Bartley): a “retired priest” initiative—connecting
senior priests of like mind, and providing a forum for them to
speak or write through various VOTF forums (Ed Greenan): the Winchester
Area (MA) Affiliate recently sponsored an evening with round table
discussions following the showing of the provocative film “The
Art of Possibility” (a report to be published in The Vineyard):
a short mail-in survey of priests has been developed. Another as
yet unexplored aspect of the roots of the crisis and our hopes
for better understanding of the priesthood is to examine the selection
and formation of men for the priesthood. Following ordination,
let us delve further into the role of the laity in the selection
of their pastors. There is untapped grant money to be had for study
in any of these areas The possibilities are endless. When we share
the stories of our efforts (both successful and not) we can help
one another to continue to keep the fire burning for this goal.
Challenges and Rewards
The dilemma of Goal 2 is that although
it is priests who abused children, and bishops who covered it up,
it is priests who played an integral part in the genesis of VOTF.
None of us would be here today if it weren’t for priests who have
made a difference in our lives. Our church is a body with different
parts. Although a hierarchy is inherent in the structure, when
power is exercised “from the top down” it ignores the model of
church defined in Vatican II documents. The active participation
of all the faithful requires recognition of the rights and responsibilities
of every member. Without dialogue, collaboration, mutual support,
respect for specific roles and shared responsibility for the governance
and guidance of the church renewal is impossible. The many priests
who have thanked and encouraged us have helped offset those who,
either because of fear, tiredness, or ignorance, have refused to
listen. Ultimately, bridges of understanding will be built one
person, one heart, at a time.
The best way we can support priests is to eradicate the mindset
that they are inordinately different, separate or privileged. This
is not to deny due respect for their specific role, but it is to
claim our specific lay role, conferred in baptism, as members of
the universal priesthood. We must resist the temptation to draw
lines between the ordained and the non-ordained, between priests
and laity. The church is not “us and them”: It is all of us, living
stones, an edifice of the Holy Spirit, the Body of Christ, a community
of love. Better understanding and new ways of working together
begin in our parishes and in our relationships with individual
priests. Ultimately, bridges of understanding will be built one
person, one heart, at a time.
One of the leaders for Goal 2 has this to say about her experience
over the past four years: ”In the beginning we were naive, hopeful,
and compassionate towards the priests and the position they found
themselves in due to the crisis. We were cautious and optimistic
at the outset, but we had a rude awakening. In setting up Sounding
Boards we never knew w hat would be on the other end of the phone--acceptance,
rejection, rudeness, or a verbal harangue. We learned that if you
need ten priests to show up, invite twenty. Some would say yes
and not show, phone or e-mail. In one case a priest volunteered
to set it up and had to scramble at the last minute.
Clericalism is deeply inbred in us as well as them. Constant
awareness to deprogram and educate laity on this facet of laity-priest
relationships is at the top of the list for Goal 2. On the positive
side, supporting priests of integrity is fascinating: We are inspired
by those priests who speak their conscience, knowing the odds,
what's at stake and how uncertain this will make their future,
yet plunge ahead. THIS IS FAITH! They grow spiritually right before
our eyes. We need them and they need us. But even as the number
of courageous priests is small, the number of men entering the
priesthood is diminishing. As laity we must take more responsibility
for our spirituality and maturing faith. One of the things we learned
was that the chasm between priests and laity is not as great as
that between the hierarchy and the priests. There were priests
who thanked us for listening to them, and for caring about the
position they have been put in as a result of these revelations.
Any possibility of bridging that greater gap will depend on collaboration
between priests and laity first.
Working on Goal 2 has been a unique time of forming close friendships,
meeting authors, reporters, priest theologians, and building new
relationships where none existed before. Our horizons have been
expanded, and we are stronger for it.” (Pat McNulty)
Budget
There has never been a budget request for Goal 2. This year is
no exception. However, with some money to do so, there are many
potential initiatives that could come to fruition. To name a
few possibilities:
- Postage for mailed surveys
- Rental of films for discussion purposes (Winchester Affiliate
model)
- Speaker fees
- Retreat possibilities (combined lay and clergy, with shared
leadership)
- Educational materials
- Donations to like-minded organizations (Justice for Priests,
etc.)
- Financial support for special programs for priests (such as
the “Well Being” program offered at reduced cost at the Mind/Body
Institute in Boston)
- Money for grant-writing
- And always, food….
Website Information
The website is being updated. It is hoped
that it will be more “user-friendly” and a resource for anyone
with questions about Goal 2
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